Asian women’s teams named for series qualifier at Hong Kong Sevens

Ahead of this week’s HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series in Hong Kong, all 12 competing sides have named their final squads.

For Asia, Hong Kong, Japan and Kazakhstan will all be competing and looking to follow in the footsteps of China who won this tournament in 2018.

Back then all three Asian sides were grouped together but this time, all three are in different pools.

Japan will start as one of the favourites for the tournament having been relegated from the series the previous year, but both Hong Kong and Kazakhstan will be looking to make their mark on the tournament.

For Japan, Chiharu Nakamura will once again captain an experienced side including the likes of Yume Okuroda, Yume Hirano and rising star Honoka Tsutsumi.

Her side will face pool matches against Mexico, Scotland and Belgium, while hosts Hong Kong face a pool against two African sides in Kenya and Uganda, as well as Papua New Guinea.

For Kazakhstan, their pool matches will be against Argentina, Brazil and Poland.